Stoke City fending off Chelsea and Rangers could prove to be a masterstroke: View | OneFootball

Sol Sidibe has shown that he is ready to see first-team action after the Potters fended off transfer interest this summer

Stoke City's trust in youth players has massively increased in years gone by, and that approach could continue to pay dividends on and off the pitch if all goes to plan.

The Potters rarely saw a player work their way through the youth teams to become a permanent fixture in the first-team while in the Premier League from 2008 to 2018, but things have had to change in years gone by, with the club walking a tightrope regarding Financial Fair Play issues and trying to stay self-sustainable.

There has been a bigger onus on bringing players through the academy system and into the first-team since relegation to the Championship, and this season has seen the breakthrough of more youth players than ever before into Steven Schumacher's squad.

One of the biggest talents emerging out of Stoke's academy is Sol Sidibe, after he made his first-team debut last August at the age of 16, and is now pushing for a consistent place in Schumacher's starting eleven every week after an impressive start to the new campaign.

Sidibe was reportedly of interest to some top teams around Europe this summer but chose to stay at his boyhood club to sign professional terms, and that decision looks to already be paying off for both him and the club.

Sidibe's story so far

Sidibe's father, Mamady, is a cult hero among Potters fans for his promotion-winning spell at the club from 2005 to 2013 - his son joined the club's academy setup as an eight-year-old in 2015 and has progressed through the ranks up to the senior side ever since.

He agreed professional terms at Stoke last July and broke into the first-team squad at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, he made his professional debut a month later against Rotherham, and became the first player born in 2007 to feature in either of the top two divisions - proving how highly-rated he is by all at the club.

Paris-born Sidibe is also an England youth international at under-17 and under-18 level and has been of interest to some top sides in recent months after some impressive outings in the eight appearances he made in his debut campaign.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, he was being monitored by British powerhouses Chelsea and Rangers ahead of the summer transfer window, with just one year left on his scholarship deal, while European giants AC Milan and Monaco were both also believed to be keeping an eye on Sidibe's situation ahead of the summer.

Despite the interest from said clubs, he signed his first professional contract with the Potters in July and committed his future in ST4 until 2027, while he stated that it was a "proud moment" but he still has "a massively long way still to go to achieve (his) long-term ambitions," in an interview with the club.

Given the events that have transpired this season since he penned his new deal, Sidibe will surely feel gratified with his decision so far, and Stoke will be pleased that he chose to remain to be a key part of the years to come at the club.

Schumacher has put more trust in Sidibe

It was made clear from the start of pre-season that the 17-year-old was due to have a bigger role in Schumacher's squad this season, and just how many opportunities he will be given throughout the campaign remains to be seen, but it has been an ideal start for him as he now heads off on international duty with the England under-18s.

Sidibe was handed starts in pre-season friendlies against Chester and Stockport County, while he featured in others against AZ Alkmaar, Crewe Alexandra, and Bolton Wanderers, and also netted his first goal for Stoke's senior side against Cork City. He has continued to play his part with the season now fully underway.

He started in Stoke's 2-0 EFL Cup first round win over Carlisle United and then was given another start in their 5-0 second round rout of Middlesbrough as he dictated the tempo well alongside Wouter Burger in both outings and barely put a foot wrong throughout his 168 minutes of football.

Sidibe's continued emergence has come alongside the breakthroughs of the likes of Jaden Dixon, Freddie Anderson, and Emre Tezgel this season, and his successes have likely helped his fellow youngsters in being trusted by Schumacher to play regularly with the first-team this season.

His standout moment of the campaign so far came over the weekend just gone, as he came on with sixteen minutes of normal time to go with the score locked at 0-0 against Plymouth Argyle, and set up Million Manhoef nine minutes later for the Dutchman to cut inside and bag a late winner in a vital win against boss Schumacher's old side.

The 17-year-old was dubbed "outstanding" by Schumacher for his impact on the game that looked to be heading towards a deadlock and certainly did his chances of more league opportunities in the weeks to come no harm.

The sky is the limit for Sidibe as a player, and it was crucial that Stoke kept him at this stage in his career, with his potential to go on and play at the highest level likely to net them a huge sum in the years to come.